The ESI on the BBC

Professor Clare Saunders (Associate Professor in Environmental Politics) and Dr Joanie Willett (Lecturer in Environmental Politics) both had contributions on their specialist areas broadcast over the weekend.

Clare appeared on the World Service’s ‘The Why Factor’ to talk about the variety of ways in which people can protest, while Joanie spoke to ‘Sunday Politics South West’ about issues around a Cornish assembly in light of the forthcoming Scottish vote.

Professor Saunders is an expert in the motivations and dynamics which lie behind both political participation and political protest. She is, along with James Connelly, Graham Smith and David Benson, a co-author of ‘Politics and the Environment: From Theory to Practice’, a leading text book on environmental politics. Dr Willett’s wide-ranging research on sustainable communities, regional development and territorial politics (often in relation to Cornish economic development) is particularly topical at a time when regionalism, political decentralisation and self-determination are playing out in such a high-profile way.

Dr Willett said: ‘Better representation of regions like Cornwall by central government is really important for businesses and economic development to make sure that they grow and develop effectively. The Scottish independence referendum has brought these issues to the fore, and we can expect a lot more debate over the next couple of years, about what a decentralised Britain would look like.’

You can listen to the debate about decentralisation on The Sunday Politics South West here, and BBC World Service’s ‘The Why Factor’, about political protest, here.